Home makeover: From retail unit to dream family living space

Emer and Aidan lived in New York and Stockholm before coming home and buying a unique property in Dublin

The Monkstown property after. Pictures: Piotr Zawistowski 50HZ Photography

Emer Dalton and Aidan Sliney lived in New York and Stockholm before returning to Ireland and buying a unique property in south County Dublin.

The couple’s Monkstown residence took centre stage for the grand finale of TV makeover series Designed for Life on RTÉ One.

The Monkstown property, before....

Designer and host Arlene McIntyre was tasked with transforming their interiors and creating the perfect living space for Emer and Aidan.

What set this property apart was that its ground floor had originally been designed to be a retail unit.

Aidan Sliney and Emer Dalton. Picture: Kip Carroll

Arlene's brief was to turn this space into a dream kitchen and living/dining area — a job, she admits, that took a dash of ingenuity and vision. 

“I was tasked with creating a modern, stylish kitchen, living and dining room for this young family. It was a complete clean slate when I arrived,” said Arlene after the show.

“This was a particularly challenging project as this property was originally a commercial space which needed to look, feel and function as a home.” 

The Monkstown property, after. Picture: Piotr Zawistowski 50HZ Photography

With this in mind, Arlene completely redesigned this space “to have a seamless flow and to accommodate a better functioning kitchen/living and dining space”. “I wanted to keep this entire space cool and stylish with urban, youthful vibes, so I used deep navy blue,” she added.

The railings were painted in Farrow & Ball, with Purbeck Stone on the walls, while burnt orange accents popped throughout the upholstery to keep the space original and functional for this young growing family.

The Monkstown property after. Picture: Piotr Zawistowski 

But the main challenge, according to the interior designer, was “to create a larger and better functioning kitchen layout to what the couple had previously planned for”. 

“This required boarding up some windows to allow for more storage and better symmetry,” said Arlene.

The Monkstown property after. Picture: Piotr Zawistowski 50HZ Photography

“I wanted to create a symmetrical black line to this kitchen space with a large island painted in Railings by Farrow and Ball. 

"As the couple had spent some time in New York I wanted to create a cooler vibe to the dining space and designed a built-in storage area that also doubled up as hidden storage for their buggy.” 

When it came to the bespoke kitchen banqueting area the designer used a tongue-and-groove panelling in the back area of the built-in bench seat in a hand-painted finish, giving this area its own character. 

The kitchen. Picture: Piotr Zawistowski 

Arlene also added a bespoke dining table and dining chairs.

“It was important for me to create two different zones with this open plan living space to accommodate somewhere to relax and watch TV, a dining zone and their kitchen zone,” she said.

A wish-list item for the couple was a hanging chair. “So, I ensured that I found the perfect spot for this within the living area,” said Arlene.

“The introduction of a porch area to the home was key, as I felt they needed somewhere to stop and hang their coats before entering their home.” 

So what was the interior designer's verdict on her first stint as a TV makeover host? “I wouldn’t have missed this opportunity for the world,” said Arlene after Tuesday night’s broadcast.

Aidan Sliney and Emer Dalton with Arlene McIntyre. Picture: Kip Carroll

The creative director and founder of Ventura Design said she thoroughly enjoyed working on the first-ever series of Designed for Life. “It has been an absolute pleasure to work on these projects and meet six wonderful families and the fabulous hardworking production team at indiepics.ie,” she said.